The present invention relates generally to the field of concrete forming structures and more particularly, to a system of interconnecting panel members for assembling a concrete forming structure which structure is especially suited to the construction of loading dock pits and the like.
In the shipment of cargo by tractor trailers and the like, cargo is typically loaded and unloaded at a dock. The trailer is backed into and abuts bumpers secured to the dock face. The cargo is transferred between the trailer and the dock by fork lift trucks or similar vehicles. The bumpers result in a gap between the edge of the dock and the edge of the trailer. As well, truck trailers have a variety of bed heights and thus, the floor of the trailer bed is usually not level with the floor of the dock. Dock levelers are utilized to bridge the gap between a dock platform and the bed of a parked trailer, whether or not there is a height difference, by providing a flat, uniform surface for vehicular and pedestrian traffic between the dock and the inside of the trailer during loading and unloading operations. A typical dock leveler is mounted within a pit formed in the platform surface of the loading dock. The loading dock pit of a conventional construction is defined by having a recessed horizontal base surface, upright side and rear walls and an open front.
Conventionally it has been known to provide concrete forming structures for loading dock pits and the like, comprising wooden forms for contact with the poured concrete. Such forming structures support the newly poured concrete walls throughout the curing period of the concrete.
The known concrete forming structures generally include a plurality of individual wooden sheets to provide a molding surface or facing against which the concrete is to be poured; the sheets being fastened or otherwise secured to a form framing structure which may comprise a number of structural elements such as load-bearing studs, beams or joists, as is well known to those skilled in this art. In the case of a typical wall form, the structural elements therefor comprise a plurality of vertical wooden studs to which the wooden sheeting is nailed or otherwise secured, the studs being in turn backed-up by a plurality of horizontal wooden studs. In many cases, the conventional wall forms further require a plurality of wooden braces which are disposed between the parallel faces of the assembled form and are intended to provide greater structural integrity to the forming structure.
The prior art forms of the type discussed above are generally custom made to suit a particular concrete pouring operation, thereby requiring considerable cutting and fitting of the numerous constituent parts of the forming structure and calling for skilled labour for the assembly thereof. Once the poured concrete has set, these known forms are dismantled and stripped away from the hardened concrete, resulting in a substantial amount of ruined lumber parts and metal fitting or fasteners which cannot be reused in subsequent concrete forming operations. It may therefore be appreciated that the conventional concrete pouring structures, characterized by formwork constructed from wood, is cost intensive from the perspective of both labour and materials. Assembly and disassembly of the various constituent components is both difficult and time consuming.
A number of concrete pouring systems consisting of prefabricated component parts have been developed over the years in an attempt to alleviate the various problems associated with the conventional concrete forming structures described above. However, such prefabricated formwork systems require numerous pieces of hardware such as nails, bolts, ties, wedges and the like for assembly. Other systems of this prefabricated type are composed of a rather large number of constituent parts which necessitates that manufacturers, suppliers or users thereof stock an excessive inventory in order to be able assemble a broad variety of concrete forming structures for the commonly encountered sizes of loading dock pits. Some of the known systems do not adequately provide for accurate alignment of the modular elements thereof, with the result that offsets, e.g. ridges, creases or other like markings, are formed in the finished concrete from panel members which do not properly align at their joints.
Applicant is aware of one such prefabricated concrete forming system currently on the market called Perma Pit made by Perma Tech Inc. Perma Pit has two steel sides and one steel back member which bolt together to act as a permanent pit form for a conventional loading dock pit. Perma Pit requires numerous pieces of hardware for assembly and does not adequately provide for accurate alignment of the elements thereof.
It is accordingly one object of the present invention to provide a form that can be used for casting an open ended loading dock pit having parallel side walls, a rear end wall and a bottom, said form avoiding the disadvantages of the prior art structures.
It is accordingly another object of the present invention to provide a system of interconnecting panels for assembling a broad variety of sizes of concrete forming structures, wherein the elements thereof consist of a reduced number of constituent parts, such that manufactures, suppliers or users of the present invention need not stock an excessive inventory in order to be able to assemble the commonly encountered sizes and configurations of pouring structures in the loading dock construction field.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system of prefabricated components for a concrete pouring structure which is fast and easy to assemble and which may be assembled by semi-skilled or unskilled labour at the building site.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an assembly for concrete forming which ensures accurate, speedy and facile alignment of the elements thereof so that offsets or other imperfections may be avoided in the finished concrete surfaces.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a prefabricated system for concrete forming structures comprising relatively compact elements which can be conveniently stored and transported to the work site.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide an assembly for concrete forming whose constituent parts are relatively lightweight, strong and rigid.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a pit form which is easy to use and quick to set up, saving time and expense.
Further and other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from reading the following summary of the invention and the preferred embodiments described and illustrated herein.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a pit form comprising two substantially parallel side members having two ends and a substantially perpendicular rear member extending between proximate the same ends of the side members in use, each of the side members and the rear member having compatible male and female engaging portions to interconnect said members to form said pit form, preferably said male and female engaging portions are at least one hook and slot respectively, preferably a plurality of hooks and slots, and preferably the male and female engaging portions are integral with said side members and rear member, preferably said male and female portions further provide for substantial alignment and securement of said side members with said rear member.
In a preferred embodiment of the above-mentioned invention, there is provided a pit form comprising:
(a) a first side panel having a top, a bottom, a first end, a second end, an outer face for contact with poured concrete to form a mold surface therefor, an opposite inner face for lining said pit, and at least one connector located proximate at least one end thereof;
(b) a second side panel arranged in a substantially parallel relationship to said first side panel, said second side panel having a top, a bottom, a first end, a second end, an outer face for contact with poured concrete to form a mold surface therefor, an opposite inner face for lining said pit, and at least one connector located proximate at least one end thereof;
(c) a rear panel having a top, a bottom, a first end, a second end, an outer face for contact with poured concrete to form a mold surface therefor, an opposite inner face for lining said pit, and at least one connector receiver for receiving each of said at least one connector of each of said first and said second side panels; whereby when each of said at least one connector of each of said first and said second side panels is received within said at least one connector receiver, said rear panel is arranged substantially perpendicular to each of said first and said second side panels and said second side panel is arranged substantially parallel to said first side panel and is located at a predetermined distance therefrom.
Preferably the at least one connector of each of said first and said second side panels is located proximate the second end of each of said first and said second side panels, said pit form further comprising a side panel connector for connecting each of said first and said second side panels proximate the first end of each of said first and said second side panels.
Preferably:
(a) said top of said first side panel further comprises a flange extending substantially normal to said outer face and said bottom of said first side panel further comprises a flange extending substantially normal to said inner face;
(b) said top of said second side panel further comprises a flange extending substantially normal to said outer face and said bottom of said second side panel further comprises a flange extending substantially normal to said inner face; and
(c) said top of said rear panel further comprises a flange extending substantially normal to said outer face and said bottom of said rear panel further comprises a flange extending substantially normal to said inner face.
Preferably the pit form further comprising at least one stabilizer on at least one of said panels.
In one aspect of the invention the side panel connector further comprises at least one stabilizer, preferably substantially rectangular in shape.
Preferably the pit form further comprises at least one mounting plate, proximate said first end of at least one of said first and said second side panels, and preferably proximate said side panel connector, and preferably said at least one mounting plate is substantially normal to said first end of at least one of said first and said second side panels.
In one embodiment of the inventions discussed above, the pit form further comprises at least one bumper located thereon, preferably located on said at least one mounting plate.
Preferably, there is provided the use of a pit form for forming a pit for a loading dock, preferably in combination with a loading dock, said pit form comprising:
(a) a first side panel having a top, a bottom, a first end, a second end, an outer face for contact with poured concrete to form a mold surface therefor, an opposite inner face for lining said pit, and at least one connector located proximate at least one end thereof;
(b) a second side panel arranged in a substantially parallel relationship to said first side panel, said second side panel having a top, a bottom, a first end, a second end, an outer face for contact with poured concrete to form a mold surface therefor, an opposite inner face for lining said pit, and at least one connector located proximate at least one end thereof;
(c) a rear panel having a top, a bottom, a first end, a second end, an outer face for contact with poured concrete to form a mold surface therefor, an opposite inner face for lining said pit, and at least one connector receiver for receiving each of said at least one connector of each of said first and said second side panels; whereby when each of said at least one connector of each of said first and said second side panels is received within said at least one connector receiver, said rear panel is arranged substantially perpendicular to each of said first and said second side panels and said second side panel is arranged substantially parallel to said first side panel and is located at a predetermined distance therefrom.
Preferably the at least one connector of each of said first and said second side panels is located proximate the second end of each of said first and said second side panels, said pit form further comprising a side panel connector for connecting each of said first and said second side panels proximate the first end of each of said first and said second side panels.
Preferably:
(a) said top of said first side panel further comprises a flange extending substantially normal to said outer face and said bottom of said first side panel further comprises a flange extending substantially normal to said inner face;
(b) said top of said second side panel further comprises a flange extending substantially normal to said outer face and said bottom of said second side panel further comprises a flange extending substantially normal to said inner face; and
(c) said top of said rear panel further comprises a flange extending substantially normal to said outer face and said bottom of said rear panel further comprises a flange extending substantially normal to said inner face.
Preferably the pit form further comprises at least one stabilizer on at least one of said panels.
In one aspect of the invention the side panel connector further comprises at least one stabilizer, preferably substantially rectangular in shape.
Preferably the pit form further comprises at least one mounting plate, proximate said first end of at least one of said first and said second side panels, and preferably proximate said side panel connector, and preferably said at least one mounting plate is substantially normal to said first end of at least one of said first and said second side panels.
Preferably the pit form further comprises at least one bumper located thereon, preferably said at least one bumper is located on said at least one mounting plate.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of assembling a pit form for forming a pit, said pit form comprising:
(a) a first side panel having a top, a bottom, a first end, a second end, an outer face for contact with poured concrete to form a mold surface therefor, an opposite inner face for lining said pit, and at least one connector located proximate at least one end thereof;
(b) a second side panel arranged in a substantially parallel relationship to said first side panel, said second side panel having a top, a bottom, a first end, a second end, an outer face for contact with poured concrete to form a mold surface therefor, an opposite inner face for lining said pit, and at least one connector located proximate at least one end thereof;
(c) a rear panel having a top, a bottom, a first end, a second end, an outer face for contact with poured concrete to form a mold surface therefor, an opposite inner face for lining said pit, and at least one connector receiver for receiving each of said at least one connector of each of said first and said second side panels; whereby when each of said at least one connector of each of said first and said second side panels is received within said at least one connector receiver, said rear panel is arranged substantially perpendicular to each of said first and said second side panels and said second side panel is arranged substantially parallel to said first side panel and is located at a predetermined distance therefrom; whereby the method comprises:
(i) aligning said at least one connector of said first side panel with said at least one connector receiver of said rear panel and inserting said at least one connector of said first side panel into said at least one connector receiver of said rear panel and
(ii) aligning said at least one connector of said second side panel with said at least one connector receiver of said rear panel and inserting said at least one connector of said second side panel into said at least one connector receiver of said rear panel, thereby assembling a pit form.
Preferably said pit form further comprises a side panel connector for connecting each of said first and said second side panels proximate the first end of each of said first and said second side panels and wherein the method further comprises: securing said side panel connector proximate the first end of each of said first and said second side panels, and preferably the pit form further comprises at least one mounting plate and wherein the method further comprises: securing said at least one mounting plate to said pit form.
Preferably the method further comprises: securing said at least one mounting plate proximate and substantially normal to said first end of at least one of said first side panel and said second side panel, and preferably the pit form further comprises at least one bumper and wherein the method further comprises securing said at least one bumper to said at least one mounting plate.